Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation: An Economic Engine for the State of Alaska

Clay Koplin, CEO of the Cordova Electric Cooperative, remembers when there were empty storefronts on Main Street:

“There isn’t a vacant storefront these days…. It’s jobs, jobs, jobs. It’s the economy. The more sustainable the fisheries, the more reliable the fisheries, the more reliable the volume, it will continue to grow, and people can have confidence that the economy is going to be sustainable.”

Dave Reggiani, PWSAC General Manager, says:

“One of the things that has made this program so successful and sustainable from a financial point of view is that the fish pay for themselves,” Reggiani said. “We sell a portion of the fish returning to the hatchery and that helps pay for the next generation. Our hatcheries also are critical to the sustainability of jobs, strong local economies and the continued growth and investment by processors. They are a tremendous resource and a huge economic engine.”

“The 2010 season produced the largest run of pink salmon in the history of the fishery. More than 50 million fish were caught and processed in just three weeks, underscoring PWSAC’s importance as both an economic driver for the state and a commodity source for global markets. Increased demand for Alaska seafood and value-added salmon products boosts the demand for the enhanced salmon fisheries. This makes reliable and sustainable returns even more critical.”

Cordova Mayor Jim Kallander says:

“PWSAC is driving the economy of the entire North Gulf region,” he said, “and aquaculture is vital to their future. The millions of pounds we ship out of here in finished and raw product, through other regional communities and through Anchorage do support jobs… we provide a lot of jobs, we put a lot of kids through college throughout Alaska and throughout the world who come here to work.”